Initiation ▷ BUCKY BARNES

TEN

AS AVERY LAID UNCONSCIOUS ON THE BED her mind began to wander back to her first initial escape from Hydra. Images of Riley flashed through her mind, she appeared to be relieved that they'd escaped but her face also sported something else; regret.

* FLASHBACK *

"We shouldn't have left him behind." Avery said with a dull expression to her voice as she gazed aimlessly out the car window.

Riley was silent and simply stared at the brunette through the mirror, her lips pursed as she saw how devastated the young woman was.

Avery hated the fact that they'd left Bucky behind. She hated herself for not being stronger, for not fighting harder for him. Bucky would've done anything for Avery, he would've put his life on the line for her — something he'd already done various times within the last few months of meeting the brunette. It pained her to know that she hadn't done the same for him.

"He wanted you to get out safely, he didn't care about himself." Riley finally said, breaking the silence between them all in the car.

Logan kept his eyes focused solely on the road, he didn't want to get in the middle of the women's discussion as he felt it wasn't any of his business. Avery was grateful for this but the brunette couldn't help but frown at Riley's blunt response.

"I wanted him to get out safely."

Riley let out a loud sigh and began to tap her fingertips on the window. She wasn't sure what to say to Avery in response and so she wanted to think about something else, even if it were just for a couple of seconds. Riley's dark eyes were fixated on the raindrops forming on the tinted window and she was gazing rather intently at the passing cars.

"Hydra weren't going to let him go that easily, surely you must've known that, Avery. He's their most prized possession — you and I are a different story. But now that you're safe, you need to get the hell away from here because if they find you, they will not hesitate to kill you."

Avery said nothing, but she couldn't help but wonder what Riley's relationship to Hydra was. The General from earlier had called her Project Zero and although Riley had assured the girl that she hadn't worked with them, Avery was still dying to know what had gone on between them — it was quite obvious that something had happened.

"How do you know about Hydra?"

Riley pursed her lips. "That is a very long and complicated story. A story that I'd rather not talk about."

Avery ignored Riley's wishes.

She normally wasn't so abrupt but the brunette was in both emotional and physical pain. She'd lost the one person she cared most for in the world and right now, nothing could compensate for her loss. She wanted an explanation and she felt as though she deserved one after everything she'd been through. Plus, surely Riley wouldn't have anything to hide.

"The General called you Project Zero," Avery paused as she noticed Riley shift uncomfortably in her seat. "did you work for them?"

Finally, Riley let her guard down.

"Not willingly." Avery raised her brows in question and Riley sighed. "When I was fifteen years old, Hydra took me and my parents as their prisoners and they held me captive for almost a decade."

Avery's eyes widened in response and the brunette pressed her hand to her lips to hide her shocked expression.

"Riley, I'm so sorry."